KS Senator Wants Momentum Kept Up On Indecency Crackdown

by Bill Fancher
April 30, 2004

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(AgapePress) - Some members of Congress are ready to help the Federal Communications Commission in its crackdown on indecent content in the entertainment industry.

After promising to clean up their act, some of the major media networks are having second thoughts and want the FCC to lower its standards and allow more vulgar speech and programming. But Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback is working hard to get a decency bill passed that would hit the rebellious members of the industry hard.

Brownback says he applauds the efforts of certain members of the industry that have stepped up to initiate "zero tolerance" policies regarding broadcast indecency and have put in place provisions that observe the rule of thumb, "When in doubt, leave it out."

Senator Sam Brownback

On the other hand, the senator says, "I want to castigate others that have said those sort of things, and yet have not been willing to live by those provisions."

The Kansas conservative is working along with other key senators to ensure the passage of legislation that will force entertainment industry icons to comply with the regulating agency's decency standards. "We are in negotiations on the [Senate] floor to get floor time. I think we're going to get support from the Democrat leadership to bring this up," he says.

Brownback notes that the proposed legislation would increase fines for decency standard violations tenfold. In addition, he says the bill "puts a three-strike provision on radio stations and television stations that violate the decency provisions three times."

For such offenders, the legislation would automatically start revocation hearings to determine whether the violator's broadcasting license should be rescinded. Brownback asserts that the issue of indecency is one that must be addressed quickly -- particularly now, while public sentiment is strong in favor of the crackdown.